Rockets may use an energetic material, such as a propellant, to generate thrust. FIG. 1 illustrates one such rocket 100 that is powered by propellant 106 and constructed to carry a payload 102. The propellant 106 is stored within a casing 112 between the ignition charge 104 and a nozzle 110. The ignition charge 104 ignites the propellant 106 causing exhaust gases to be generated. The exhaust gases are forced through the nozzle 110, thereby generating thrust. A seal 108 between the nozzle 110 and the casing 112 may be included in the rocket 100 to prevent exhaust gases from bypassing the nozzle 110.
The energetic materials in the rocket 100 (e.g., propellant 106) deteriorate when exposed to various stresses encountered in normal service including transportation handling, vibrations, humidity, and temperate changes. As the energetic material deteriorates, the energetic material may undergo dimensional changes and/or cracking potentially causing catastrophic failure of the rocket 100.
The health of energetic materials is generally measured periodically through various destructive tests performed on samples taken from the energetic material. Obtaining these samples requires disassembling the rocket to provide access to the energetic material. The health of the sample may be determined by various bench-top analytical instruments that identify the chemical composition of the sample. Rockets containing energetic materials that are deemed unsafe may be decommissioned.